Said Joseph Perkins is to be shot to death...
Document 1799General Orders: Ellery explains the reasons for the execution of Joseph Perkins for desertion and taking with him two prisoners. These are crimes so heinous as to demand the death penalty as the best way of setting an example for the rest of the soldiery.
No document image is currently available.
No human transcription currently available for this document.
Machine transcription not yet available for this document.
Type
Printed transcription/modern copy of letter
Description
General Orders: Ellery explains the reasons for the execution of Joseph Perkins for desertion and taking with him two prisoners. These are crimes so heinous as to demand the death penalty as the best way of setting an example for the rest of the soldiery.
Date
07/20/1799
Author
Sent from
New York
Collection
Document number
1799072037000
Notable persons
Abrham R. Ellery, Assistant Adjutant General
Joseph Perkins, a private soldier of the 1st Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers
the President [Adams]
Major General Hamilton
Reverend John M. Mason
Major Adam Hoops will make the necessary arrangements
Notable locations
New York
Notable items
general court martial of which Major [William] Willocks was president
crime of desertion
liberating and taking with him two prisoners
he was sentinal
flagrancy and complication of the crime of said Joseph Perkins
absolute necessity of well placed examples in military service
said sentence shall be put into execution
execution of said sentence at Fort Jay
said Joseph Perkins is to be shot to death
capital punishment in the army
crime which disgraces the offender by the double character of perfidy and cowardice
man who takes the rewards of his country
oath to its service
deserts its defense amidst prospects of foreign dangers
may the character of the American soldiery cease to be stained by examples of such baseness
crime so pernicious
severity of punishment